Can opener



Oct. 11, 1949.

Filed July 2a, 1948 o. H. HANBY 2,484,504

CAN OPENER 2 She ets-Sheet l l l I Patented Oct. 11, 1949 tuirforarnna i; This invention relates generally to can openers and in particular to an improved construction for can openers ofthe type powered by an electric motor. 7 V a l jects of the invention are to provide a comparatively simple and yet highly efficient and durable can opener device which may be manufactured at low cost. Another object is to provideifor automatically starting the motor which drives the can opening mechanism each time a can is placed in position to be opened and also automatically stopping the motor when the top of the can. has been removed. Another object is tofprovidea can opener of the automatic type that can easilybe operated with one hand leavingthe other hand free to hold something else and this is often of the utmost convenience to the housewife for she may then hold a saucepanorother culinary utensil in one hand and open a can with the other.

'These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred constructional embodiment of the invention when considered with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved can opener; Fig. 2 is a view of the can opener in end elevation; Figs. 3 and 4 are top and bottom planviews respectively; Fig. 5 is a detail view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 isa transverse sectional detail taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2'; Fig. '7 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention which features a safety guard which prevents the motor component of the can opener from being turnedon prematurely and Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional detail view taken on line 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring now to Figs. 1-6 of the drawings in'particular, the improved, automatic can opener includes a support bracket or frame In which is adapted to be fastened in some convenient location to a wall of the kitchen or other location convenient to the user. A motor II is mounted at the top of bracket ID by means of bolts l2, and the motor shaft l3 extending horizontally is provided with aworm gear l4. The

latter is keyed to the motor shaft so as to be driven by it and the keying arrangement is such as will also permit a slight displacement of the worm along the axis of the motor shaft. A vertical tube l5 provided with horizontal trunnions I6 is supported by trunnion brackets l1 fastened to the side of bracket 10. Tube I5 functions as a sleeve bearing for drive shaft I8 which ex- TClaims.

Oscar H. Hanby, Grandview, Wash.

. Application J My 26, 1948, Serial No. 40,689

2 tends through the tube. I8 carries a worm wheel I9 suitably keyed to the shaft and meshes with worm gear 14 so the shaft 18 is driven by the latter when the motor H is turned on. To the lower end of shaft I8 is secured a frustoconical knurled driving roller 2|. Roller 2| occupies a position laterally of and between a pair of spaced guide rollers 22,- 23 provided with peripheral knurled grooves 22a, 23a. As shown clearly in Fig. 1, the outer pe-J riphery of bead 24a' at the top of the can 24 tobe opened is adapted to fit against theknurled grooves 22a,.23a, and the lower edge of knurled roller 2| against the inner periphery of the can bead24a. I

Between rollers 22, 23 a cutting tool is provided.

The tool is preferably in the form of a roller 25 having a peripheral knife edge 25a so located with respect to rollers 2|, Hand 23 that when the upper can bead 244: has been gripped tightly between these rollers, the knife edge 25a will pierce the side wall of the can at a point just. below bead 24a. All three rollers 22, 23 and 25.

are journalled for rotation on a vertical axis, upper sleeve bearings being provided by drilled openings through the foot of an L-shaped plate 26 secured to bracket In by bolts 21 and lower sleeve bearings by drilled recesses in a horizontal offset-portion Illa of the main support bracket 10. p

Dependingv from the bracket offset Illa is an arcuate guide plate 28 which serves not only to. generally guide the can bead into position be tween rollers 2l23, but also as a bearing in which the can turns while being opened. Se-

cured tothe rear face of plate 28 by bracket 29 is a switch unit 30, the contacts of which-are actuated by a spring loaded push rod .32 that projects through an opening 28a in plate 28. As seen in Fig. 4, push rod 32 extends beyond the inner face 281: of the plate 28 and is adapted to bepressed in by the side wall of can 24 to a position substantially flush with inner face28bj When the latter position is reached, the contacts of switch 30 will then have been closed thus completing the circuit between motor II and a power source via the conventional appliance plug connector 33. After the can top has been removed and the can removed from guide plate 28, the pressure upon push rod 32 is like wise released and the latter moves automatically under the restoringiorce of its loading spring (not shown) to open-circuit position thus cut-' ting off the flow of current to motor ll.

the-instance depicted in Fig; 1,-the head.

The upper end of shaft position by a compression spring 35 one end of 5 which bears against a vertical face on support bracket I and the other end against tube [5 at a point below its trunnions l6.

At a point. above. the. trunnions, an arm. 36

extends in .a" generally lateral direction :fromtube l5, the outer end of the arm being turned upwardly to terminate in a socket portion 31- spaced from the outer end of and in alignment with the motor shaft l3. A sleeve 38 surrounds the outer end portion of motor shaft l3- sleeve is mounted on the shaft in such manner as will permit it to undergo a displacement along the shaft axis but cannot rotate relativeto it. To this end, the motor shaft I3 is provided with a keyway c 3Blr$-- This same" keyway extends through the worm-gear W and acompanion key Md secured to -th'e latter permits the required-slight axialdisplaeement as previously mentioned.

Intermediatetheends of' sleeve 38 two diametrically opposed slots- 39- and pivot pins 39a-are provided for pivotally mountingapair of L-- shaped weighted fl-y levers'tll intermediate their ends. The inner tips wa er these levers extend throu'g-lr slots-39 and engage theend face of b motor sha-ft' l3 whil'ethe outer ends thereof term-i-nate -in' flyweights =40b which lieagainst the" outer surfa-ceof sleeve 38 when motor H isat rest; The-outerend-of sleeve=-38 is'necked down" and terminates in a ball M and" anchored to socket 31 =byrneans of a. lock plate- 42 Whenmotor' H is running, however, the-centrif-ugal force acting upon the weighted en'd's' lfib 'of levers'lllcauses'these ends of the levers to prove radially outward from-sleeve 38.

Thiis as viewed in Fig: 1,- the levers will turn outwardly about their pivots 39acausing the inner tips' ifla to press against the endfaceof shaft l3. Since the latter'isfixed" insofar as anyaxial displacementis concerned, thereaction' 45 of the 'levertips 4000 with respect to the end" face of the motorshaft will besu'ch as to cause sleeve 38 to slide" to theright. Such movement is or. course transferred through" the ball and socket joint il-41) to arm 36 and causes tube-' l5 totilt clockwiseabout its-*trunnions lGFthus compressing spring 35 and shifting drive roller" Zl to J the left. The result of" this is that the i can is forced by roller 2-l'-into"the guide; rollers 22? 2 3 with the can beatlgripped tightlybetween" all 'three-rollers. Astube Ill-tilts; worm'*wheel' l 9 will-also follow it shifting worm gear I 4 slightly-alon g the" axis 'of motor shaft i3.

Operation It isbel'ieved thatth'e operation of the form I of". the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-6' will by.

now'have become quite obvious. Summarizing; however, can His placed between. rollers 2| 23 and'the side of the can is pressed. against push rod. 32; .the lower endfof the. can being sup ported gentlyby'the user. This starts motor I l, setting motor shaft l3 in rot'ation'andcausing flyleverslll to move away' from'th'esleeve' 38 and thereby tilt tube- I 5 slightly clockwise. in'turn causes the beadMcrof-the'canto be gripped tightly between rollers 21 ---23' forcing the knife edge 25w 'on roller 25 'through the can wall just below theb'ea'di Roller 2l-is-of course driven by: sh'aft' I8 I through 1 wor-m I l on motor This 15 I311 and sleeve 38 the companion key which is received in 3' This '70 shaft l3 and worm wheel I!) and hence causes the can to rotate at not too great a speed. When the can has completed one revolution, the top of the can will have been cut completely off at a line just below the end bead, and the opened can is then free to be removed, it having of course been held gently in the hand of the user during the cutting operation, for otherwise the can. would fall when the cutting was finished. As soon as the can is removed switch rod 32 is automatically released and the motor ll stops whereupon all component parts reassume the positions depicted in Fig. 1 and the cut-ofi can ropes: released.

Successful operation of the form of the invention'shown Figs. 1-6 is of course predicated uponrthepremisethat the user inserts the bead at the top of the can between rollers 2I23 beforeswitch rod 32 is pressed to start the motor. To assure that this sequence will always be observed, itma'y be desirable -to "incorporate an interlo'ckfor the switch operator which'will' pre'-' vent"- the motor from being started before the can has been placed in its proper position; The modified-construction illustrated in Figs. 7' and 8 disclosesone practical arrangement for attainingthe desired result.

Referring now to these views, itwill be seen that' the cohstructionis"identicalin practically every 'respect withtha-t shown in Figs. 1-6"-and hence all correspondingcomponents-have been given the same but primed numeralsw'hi'ch' id'entifysuch parts in Figs; 1 6; The only change" required is that rollers 22" 23' must bem'ade longer and plate 26- raised fora reason that will soon become obvious: The interlock consists ofa U-shaped shield All placed around the'cut ting roller 25" and the drive roller" 2|. De pending vertically from the closed end of the shield is a lift rod 45 that 'extends through an" aperture in theoifset portion are of bracket I0 the lower end ofrod45 terminating in a yoke-45a that embraces a short section32iz-of reduced diameter on the shankof push rod 32". Shield and the'lift rod ldsecuredthereto are urged towards their lowermost position, i the position shown in the drawing; by a spring"46'sur'-' rounding rod 45 and when in such position, it' willbeevident that yoke 45a-prevents theswitch rod- 32- frombeing pushed inw'ardl'y as'is nec essarytostart' the motor. However, when. a" can'is being placed in'position, the top of the" can-will"lift shield-"M "and'hencealso rod 45"so" that when 'the bead on the can has reached the proper position between rollers"2l-23", the yoke 45tz--will have been raised a' sufiicient' distance to cle'ar the shank of switch rod" 32 thereby permitting the latter to be pushed in to start the motor! Operation of the"modified. construction is-otherwise'the-sarne as before and henceneed" 0 not be" repeated.

While the foregoing construction is to be pre-L ferred, it by no means-exhausts all design pos sibilities andhence various changes in the'illustr 'ated-construction maybe made by. otherswith out; how-ever, departing from the spirit and scope of' the inventionas'expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a can opener the combination compris ing -a support, an'upright'drive'shaft; means pivotally mounting said shaft'intermediate the endsthereof onsaid support, a can. driving roller secured to thlOWQf'fiIld of 'saidsl'i'aft, stationary guide rollers between which and" said driving roller the bead of the can is adapted to be placed, a cutter located between said guide rollers and adapted to puncture the side wall of the can just below the bead when gripped between said rollers, a motor on said support, gearing means coupling said motor to said drive shaft, a switch on said support for starting and stopping said motor, said switch including a switch operator actuated by pressure applied from the can to start said motor, and means actuated upon starting of said motor to tilt said drive shaft and hence said driving roller in the direction of said guide rollers to grip and rotate the can bead therebetween.

2. A can opener as defined in claim 1 and which further includes a locking device preventing said switch operator from being actuated, and means actuated by the can for releasing said locking means when the can bead reaches a position between said rollers.

3. In a can opener the combination comprising a support, an upright drive shaft, means pivotally mounting said shaft intermediate the ends thereof on said support, a can driving roller secured to the lower end of said shaft, stationary guide rollers between which and said driving roller the bead of the can is adapted to be placed, a cutter located between said rollers and adapted to puncture the side wall of the can just below the bead when gripped between said rollers, spring means urging said drive shaft and driving roller in a direction away from said guide rollers, a motor on said support, gearing means coupling said motor to said drive shaft, a switch on said support for starting and stopping said motor, said switch including a pressure responsive contact actuator adapted to be pressed upon by the can to start said motor, a fiy lever rotated by the shaft of said motor, and means actuated by said fly lever upon starting of said motor for tilting said drive shaft and hence said driving roller against the action of said spring in the direction of said guide rollers to grip and rotate the can bead therebetween.

4. In a can opener the combination comprising a support, an upright drive shaft, means pivotally mounting said shaft intermediate the ends thereof on said support, a can driving roller secured to the lower end of said shaft, stationary guide rollers between which and said driving roller the bead of the can is adapted to be placed, a cutter located between said guide rollers and adapted to puncture the side wall of the can just below the bead when gripped between said rollers, a motor on said support, gearing means coupling said motor to said drive shaft, an arcuate guide plate secured to said support and located beneath said rollers, a switch for starting and stopping said motor, said switch including a pressure responsive contact actuator rod extending through said guide plate and adapted to be pressed upon by the can to start the motor, and means actuated upon starting of said motor to tilt said drive shaft and hence said driving roller in the direction of said guide rollers to grip and rotate the can bead therebetween.

5. A can opener as defined in claim 4 and which further includes a lock member engaging said switch actuator rod and locking the latter against displacement, and means actuated by the can for releasing said lock member from said rod when the can bead reaches a position between said rollers.

6. In a can opener the combination comprising a support, an upright drive shaft, means pivotally mounting said shaft intermediate the ends thereof on said support, a can driving roller secured to the lower end of said shaft, stationary guide rollers between which and said driving rollers the bead of the can is adapted to be placed, a cutter located between said guide rollers and adapted to puncture the side wall of the can just below the bead when gripped between said rollers, spring means urging said drive shaft and driving roller in a direction away from said guide rollers, a motor on said support, the shaft of said motor extending horizontally, a drive gear and sleeve secured upon said motor shaft and movable axially thereof, a driven gear secured to the upper end of said driving shaft and meshed with said drive gear, a switch on said support for starting and stopping said motor, said switch including a pressure responsive contact actuator adapted to be pressed upon by the can to start said motor, a fly lever pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof on said sleeve adjacent the end of said motor shaft, one end of said lever being weighted and the other end adapted to bear against the end face of said motor shaft and cause said sleeve to be axially displaced when said weighted lever end moves radially outward upon starting said motor, and means actuated by said sleeve upon axial displacement thereof for tilting said drive shaft and hence said driving roller against the action of said spring means in the direction of said guide rollers to grip and rotate the can bead therebetween.

'7. A can opener as defined in claim 6 wherein the mounting means for said drive shaft is constituted by a tube within which said drive shaft is journalled, said tube being pivotally secured intermediate its ends to said support, and said means for tilting said drive shaft is constituted by an arm secured to said tube above the pivot axis and which is actuated by said sleeve.

OSCAR H. HANBY.

No references cited. 

